What are the symptoms of a food allergy, and what are some treatment options?

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Food allergies aren’t just bothersome — they can be costly, too. A study in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology found that food allergies — an exaggerated immune response that can be triggered by peanuts, milk, eggs, and other products — cost Americans $500 million a year, due to doctor visits, hospital care, and lost work days. Today, about one in 25 people in the United States have food allergies.

What Is a Food Allergy?

If you have a food allergy, your body's immune system overreacts to certain food components known as food allergens. These allergens, which are usually proteins, are harmless to most people. But if your body’s immune system has been sensitized to the allergens, it may overreact and attack the proteins as if they were harmful bacteria.

Most people who have a food allergy are allergic to a protein found in one or more of the following foods:

These symptoms usually appear within a few minutes to a couple of hours of eating the food you are allergic to. Rarely, an allergic reaction to a food can occur even when you do not consume the food, since some food allergens can become airborne (for example, when shellfish is steamed).

Diagnosing and Treating a Food Allergy

Anyone who has had symptoms of an allergic reaction to food should consult an allergist or immunologist, who can diagnose the condition and decide how to best treat it. Diagnosis of a food allergy will involve a complete medical history, physical exam, and allergy skin or blood tests to confirm the presence of the allergy.

The best treatment for a food allergy is to avoid the food that triggers the allergic reaction. However, this can be difficult if you don't prepare your own meals. Here are some tips to help avoid problems when eating out and buying pre-made foods:

Talk to your hosts or wait staff about dish ingredients when dining away from home

Read all food labels and ask your doctor what ingredients you should watch out for

Avoid foods that don't have labels

It is a good idea to always carry an injectable epinephrine or an antihistamine medication with you at all times, if recommended by your doctor. Also, consider wearing an identification bracelet that describes your allergy.

Some people, especially children, eventually "grow out" of their food allergy. But, there is currently no cure for food allergies. Researchers are working to find a cure and identify better ways to prevent and treat allergic reactions to food allergens.

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